Hardside cooler with soft cover

ABSTRACT

An insulated container, such as a cooler or ice chest, with a hardside interior and a softside exterior is disclosed that has the benefits of softside coolers, such as the ability to include pockets and pouches, as well as the benefits of hardside coolers (e.g. protection to the contents inside and rigid attachment of wheels, handles, etc.) The softside exterior may be directly connected to the hardside interior, for example by sewing. The cooler may have a lid hingedly attached to the liner, and the lid may be hard plastic including a softside exterior on the top of the lid. The cooler may have wheels and an extendable handle attached to the hardside interior to aid in transportation of the cooler in some embodiments.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional utility application claimingpriority to U.S. Provisional patent application No. 60/580,865,entitled, “Hardside Cooler with Soft Cover,” by Stone and Maldonado,filed Jun. 17, 2004, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein;this application also claims priority to U.S. Provisional application60/581,801, entitled “Hardside Cooler with Soft Cover” by Stone andMaldonado, filed Jun. 21, 2004, by Stone and Maldonado, incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of insulatedcontainers such as coolers or ice chests. More particularly, the presentinvention relates to an apparatus and method for providing a coolerhaving the hard liner integrated with a soft cover.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, it is known to provide an insulated container, such as acooler or an ice chest. Coolers and ice chests may be generallycategorized as hardsided or softsided. Hardsided coolers include coolershaving an outside body made from hard plastic, such as blow molded orinjection molded plastic and thus the hard outside body provides aprotective covering for the contents in the cooler. Hardsided coolersmay be constructed with a liner within the outside body. Such as linerof the prior art is shown as item 200 in FIG. 11. Insulating foam isplaced between the liner and the outside body during construction ofthese hardsided coolers, as is known by one of ordinary skill in theart. The liner also may be comprised of injection molded plastic,capable of providing a leak-proof cavity in which ice, liquid,beverages, food, etc. may be contained. The liner of the cooler mayinclude a plurality of pairs of channels 202 to allow a divider to bepositioned vertically within the liner, to divide the liner verticallyto create vertical spaces or compartments within the liner. A dividermay also be adapted to lay flat on a shelf 206 in the liner to dividethe liner into compartments horizontally.

As stated above, to construct the hardsided coolers, insulating foam maybe placed between the liner and the hard outside body to betterthermally insulate the cooler. The foam may be poured in liquid formbetween the outside body and the liner to form the cooler, with thecooler being placed into a curing unit, to cure the foam into a solidstated. A lid may be attached to the cooler via a hinge and a lockingmechanism may be provided on the lid to secure the contents stored inthe cooler. A rubber seal may be placed around the perimeter of the lidto sealingly engage the perimeter 207 of the liner 200, therebyproviding a leak-proof cavity within the cooler.

In contrast to hardside coolers, softside coolers typically comprisecoolers made of a pliable material, such as fabric, and may includethermal insulation between the pliable material and the food and/orbeverages within the cooler. Softside coolers tend to be popular becausesoftside coolers are often collapsible and require less storage space,when not being used. Softside coolers may be more fashionable than ahardside cooler as a softside cooler may contain pockets, as softsidecoolers may allow the attachment of accessories or gadgets to thesoftside material. Softside coolers have advantages ofmultifunctionality with storage compartments, slip pockets, and otherdevices, which can easily be sewn to the sides of the softside cooler.However, compared to hardside coolers, softside coolers provide lessprotection to the contents within the cooler, and may be more prone towear over time as compared to the hardsided counterparts.

On the other hand, compared to softside coolers, current hardsidecoolers are known to have improved performance and durability due to theuse of plastic liners and lids, compared to coolers made of othermaterials. As such, hardsided cooler offer improved protection ofdelicate contents (e.g. sandwiches, eggs, or cake) compared to softsidedcoolers. Further, cleaning the inside of the plastic liner is alsorelatively easy compared to cleaning the inside of the softsideproducts. However, hardside coolers may be more difficult to carry andstore, as hardside coolers have a hard outer body, which typically isnot flexible. Further, it may prove problematic in some instances toattach components or gadgets to the hardside cooler.

Another type of cooler is a combination of a hardsided cooler and asoftsided cooler. This hybrid cooler comprises a hard liner 200 of theprior art, typically injection molded, removable from within a softsidepouch. The MaxCold™ 10, offered by Igloo Products Corp. of Katy, Tex.,is an example of a cooler having a removable hard liner, within asoftside (e.g. fabric) outer carrier. The benefits of such a design arethat the hard liner is removable for easy cleaning. Further, thesoftside carrier may also be washed separately. However, the repeatedremoval of the liner from the cooler may prevent the softside carrierfrom retaining its original shape; thus, the liner may fall out of thecarrier if the cooler is tipped over. Additionally, the soft lid of thesoftside carrier may not fasten securely as a hardside cooler having ahard lid, in some situations.

In light of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide an insulatedcontainer, such as a cooler or ice chest, which has the advantages ofboth hardside and softside coolers, while minimizing the disadvantagesof hardside and softside coolers. By way of example, it would bedesirable that the cooler or ice chest have a durable hard innersurface, which protects the contents of the cooler and is relativelyeasy to clean. Further, it would be desirable to provide an outersurface of the cooler with a softside material to which accessories maybe attached. Additionally, it is desirable to have a hard lid thatprotects the contents inside and is adapted to securely keep the lidclosed. It would also be desirable to be able to attach wheels and anextendable handle to the insulated container or cooler to facilitatetransportation of the device.

The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducingthe effects of, one or more of the issues set forth above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The insulated container, such as a cooler or ice chest, described hereinis an “all-in-one” cooler that combines advantages of both softside andhardside coolers, and creates one solution to some of the disadvantagesdescribed above. In some embodiments, the cooler utilizes a hard plasticliner and a plastic lid hingedly attached to the liner, similar tohardsided coolers. Pliable material, such as soft fabric and/or flexibleclosed-cell foam, may be attached to the hard liner to create the outerwalls of the body, in some embodiments. The pliable material may bedirectly attached to the liner, via glue or via direct stitching, insome embodiments. The fabric and foam may provide thermal advantages,such as keeping heat away from cooled contents or keeping heat fromescaping when the cooler contains warm contents.

In another embodiment, the insulated container may utilize a hardcontainer and hard lid. The container and lid may comprise plastic astypically used in hardside coolers and the like. The lid is attachableto the container in such a way to enclose the container in one positionand to provide access to the container in another position. A pliablematerial is attached to the outside of the container to become anintegral part of the cooler. The pliable softside material may be nylon,polyester, or other material similar to material typically used in asoftside cooler. In yet another embodiment, separate pliable materialmay be attachable to the lid and may be nylon, polyester, or othermaterial similar to the materials typically used in a softside cooler.It should be understood that the container could be any shape, e.g.cylindrical, square, rectangular, as long as it contains a cavity, aswould be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure.

In some embodiments, an insulated cooler is provided having a hardliner, which contains a cavity, a hard lid hingedly attached to the hardliner, and a softside cover attached to the exterior of the liner. Insome embodiments, the pliable material creates a softside cover, and isfastened directly to the exterior of the liner. The pliable material maybe fastened to the exterior of the liner by sewing the pliable materialto the exterior of the liner; gluing the pliable material to theexterior of the liner; providing velcro straps on the pliable materialto fasten through openings in the liner; providing mating snaps on thepliable material and the exterior of the liner; or providing the pliablematerial and the exterior of the liner with mating parts of a zipper,for example.

In other embodiments, a cooler has a lid is hingedly attached to a linerhaving a cavity and a softside is also attached to the outside wall ofthe liner. The cooler may also include a pliable material (or “softside”material) attached to the lid to create a softside cooler. In someembodiments, the softside material may be sewn directly to the liner. Inother embodiments, the softside may be snapped or zipped onto the liner.The cooler may further have wheels and an extendable handle attached tothe liner. In some embodiments, the softside may contain a side pocketor a front pouch with an accessory such as a carabineer, key ring, orgrommet, for example. The front pouch or side pocket may include aportion of mesh material. In one embodiment, the cooler may further havea skid resistant base connected to the bottom of the liner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a cooler 100 of thepresent disclosure including a “T-Shaped” handle 10 in the extendedposition, inter alia.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the presentdisclosure having a cooler 100 having a portion of a pocket 95 comprisedof mesh material 96.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the presentdisclosure of a cooler 100 having an extendable handle 10′.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present disclosure of a cooler100 having a portion 201 of a liner 200 adapted to secure a lid 220.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of an embodiment of FIG. 4 of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of an embodiment of FIG. 4 of the presentdisclosure of a cooler 100 having four wheels 20.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the present disclosure of a cooler 100with the lid 20 in the open position.

FIG. 8 shows the front view of an embodiment of the present disclosureof the cooler 100 having at least a portion of a front pouch 40comprising mesh material 96.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show an embodiment of present disclosure of the cooler100 having a snap-fit lid 220 and a liner 200.

FIG. 10A shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent disclosure having a skid-resistant base 94.

FIG. 10B shows a top view of the alternative embodiment of the presentdisclosure of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10C shows a rear perspective of the alternative embodiment of FIG.10A of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10D shows a rear perspective of an alternative embodiment of FIG.10A of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10E shows a perspective view of the alternative embodiment of FIG.10A with the cooler 100 with its lid 220 open.

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a liner 200 of theprior art.

FIG. 12A shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the presentdisclosure of a cooler 100 having the pliable material such on the lid220 opened to expose a dry storage pocket 70.

FIG. 12B is a close-up view of an area of the dry storage pocket 70depicted in FIG. 12A and shows one embodiment of the present disclosure.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However,it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limitedto the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the intention is to cover allmodifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below as theymight be employed in the use of designs for insulated container,coolers, or ice chests. As used herein, an insulated container may beutilized interchangeably with ice chest, cooler, and the like, and eachterm (insulated container, ice chest, cooler) is to be given itsordinary meanings. In the interest of clarity, not all features of anactual implementation are described in this specification. It will ofcourse be appreciated that in the development of any such actualembodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made toachieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which will vary fromone implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated thatsuch a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in theart having the benefit of this disclosure.

Further aspects and advantages of the various embodiments of theinvention will become apparent from consideration of the followingdescription and drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, an insulated container or cooler 100 comprises aliner 200 with a lid 220 hingedly attached to the liner 200. The liner200 may be injection molded plastic typical of liners currently on themarket, and is shown in isolation in FIG. 11. Within the cooler 100 is acavity for placing ice, food and beverages, so that the insulatedcontainer or cooler 100 operates to keep the contents cool;alternatively, the insulated container 100 may be utilized to keepcontents therein warm.

On the outside of the cooler 100 is shown a pliable (or softside)material 240. The pliable material of the cooler of this embodiment maycomprise fabric, flexible polyester, and closed-cell foam, for example.Between the liner 200 and the pliable material may be placed insulatingmaterial. The pliable material 240, such as closed-cell foam, shown onthe outside of the cooler 100, may be attached directly to the hardplastic of the liner 200 to create the outer walls of the body in thisembodiment. For example, the pliable material 240, such as closed-cellfoam, may be directly attached to the liner 200, via glue or adhesiveplaced there between. Alternatively, the pliable material may bedirectly stitched to the liner 200. The closed-cell foam providesinsulation for the liner 200. Furthermore, closed-cell foam is adaptednot to absorb liquid if either the liner 200 or pliable material 240were to leak or tear.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cooler 100 may include an extendable telescopehandle 10. It should be realized that in the embodiment shown, a rightand front view perspective is shown; a left and front perspective viewmay be identical. The telescopic handle 10 may be comprised of a “T”style telescoping handle as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Alternatively, thehandle may be comprised of a U-shaped or double telescoping handle 10′as shown in FIGS. 3-6. As explained in more detail herinafter withrespect to the U-shaped handle 10′, the liner 200 may include a bracket205 (as shown in FIG. 5) that is attached to or encloses a portion ofextendable handle 10′; and the handle may be attached to a base 19 ofthe insulated container 100. The base 19 comprises a pair of wheels 20such that when the insulated container 100 is titled backwardly, theweight of the insulated container 100 rests on the wheels 20 tofacilitate transportation of the insulated container 100 from locationto location. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6, the cooler 100includes telescoping handle 10, 10′ and wheels 20. However, the handle10, 10′ and wheels 20 are not utilized in other embodiments.

As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the insulated container 100includes handles 30 and a front pouch 40. The loop handles 30 may rotateto multiple positions and angles to aid in the transportation ofinsulated container 100 from location to location.

A headphone grommet 50 is shown in FIG. 1 and is adapted to beattachable to the front pouch 40. The front pouch 40 may include anaccessory such as a carabineer or key ring, for example. The insulatedcontainer 100 may further comprise molded-in cupholder brackets 60 suchas those disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/852,662,entitled “Insulated Ice Chest with Accessory Holders,” filed May 25,2004, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Cup holders maybe provided and attached on these brackets 60.

As shown in FIG. 1, a dry storage pocket 70 may also be provided on theupper portion of the insulated container 100. A lid cover 80 of softsidepliable material is also provided for cooler 100, which may beinsulated. The handle 10 may be single as shown in FIG. 1 or doubleposted 10′ as shown in FIG. 3.

To construct the insulated container 100, the pliable or softsidematerial 240 is attachable to the liner 200 in various ways. Forinstance, the pliable softside material 240 may be directly affixed tothe outside of the liner 200 via adhesive or glue. Or the pliablesoftside material 240 may be directly stitched to the liner 200, asdescribed above. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the liner 200 of theinsulted container 100 of FIG. 1 includes a collar 207 located at thetop and outside of the liner 200, the prior art liner 200 being shown inisolation in FIG. 11. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the collar 207includes a downwardly protruding lip 208, which folds back downwardlyover the exterior upper perimeter of the liner 200. A circumferentialpocket is therefore created between the inside of the lip 208 and theoutside of the upper perimeter of the liner 200.

Further, the pliable material 240 may include a ring or hoop of hardenedmaterial (e.g. plastic) attached to the upper end of the material 240and located on the upper perimeter of the bag-shaped pliable materialfor assembly purposes. The upper end of the pliable material 240 may bestitched around the hoop or ring.

To construct the insulated container 100 of FIG. 1, the ring or hoop maybe inserted into the circumferential pocket on the upper end of theliner to attach upper end of the softside pliable material 240 to theupper end of the liner 200. In other words, the hoop and the upper endof the pliable material 240 may be sandwiched between thecircumferential lip 208 and the perimeter of the liner 200. In this way,the softside pliable material 240 may be attached to the liner 200.Alternatively, the plastic ring or hoop may be snapped into only thecorners of the circumferential pocket on the perimeter of the liner 200.In other embodiments, the plastic ring or hoop may snap into the entireperimeter of the lip 208 of the collar 207. Alternatively, the pliable,softside material 240 may be directly stitched to the liner 200, orglued to the liner 200, as discussed above. Regardless of the means forattachment, insulation material such as foam may be placed between thepliable material 240 and the liner 200 to improve the insulatingfunction of the insulated cooler 100.

Further, the lid 220 of the cooler 100 may contain a softside material240 attached to the lid 220. For example, the softside material 240 maybe directly attached to the lid, such as being glued or sewn onto thelid.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the pliable material or softsidematerial may be attached to the lid 220 and/or the liner 200. Thepliable material or softside material may be nylon 91, PVC 93, orpolyester, for example. Any pliable material or softside material may beutilized, as would be realized by one of ordinary skill in the arthaving the benefit of this disclosure. The direct attachment of thesoftside material 240 to the liner 200 advantageously prevents thepremature disengagement of the liner 200 from the softside pliablematerial 240. Further, direct attachment of the softside pliablematerial 240 to the liner 200 creates an insulated container 100, whichis more robust than typical softside coolers presently on the market.

The outside cover of softside material 240 may also include a side slippocket 95. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, a portion of the side slippocket 95 may be comprised of a mesh material 96. In the embodiment ofFIG. 3, the side slip pocket 95 is non-mesh pliable material, such asfabric.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the disclosed cooler 100 may include a pluralityof legs 300. The legs 300 may operate to stop the cooler 100 fromrotating about the wheels 20, which may be simple plastic wheels, or forlarger insulated containers, the wheels may be rubberized. In theembodiment of FIG. 2, the legs 300 allow the insulated container 100 toremain level when a user releases the handle 10.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3, a grommet 50 is shown located onthe top of a front pouch 40 to allow a cord (not shown) for anelectronic device, such as a headphone cord, to extend inside of thefront pouch 40. Also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are at least one cup holderbracket 60 on the perimeter of the upper surface of the liner 200 forconnecting a removable cup holder (not shown) to the liner 220.Alternatively, the insulated container may include at least one cupholder 61 formed into the top of the lid 220, as shown in FIG. 10A anddescribed hereinafter. Further, as shown in FIG. 10E, the insulatedcontainer may include a compartment 62 for selectively securing theremovable cup holder (not shown) in the lid 220, shown on the bottomside of the lid 220 in FIG. 10E. Also shown in FIG. 10E is the undersideof the at least one cup holder 61 described above. It should bementioned that the cup holder 61 also may be formed on the bottom of thelid 220, for use when the lid 220 is open.

The lid 220 rests against the upper perimeter of the liner 200 when thelid is closed. The upper perimeter of the liner 200 of the insulatedcontainer 100 may include a recess 201, as shown in FIG. 4, tofacilitate the opening of the lid 220. In operation, the recess 201allows an operator to more easily apply an upward force on the bottomside of the 220 to open the lid 220, than if the upper perimeter of theliner 200 were not recessed.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the liner 200 of the cooler 100 includes abracket 205 attachable to a portion of an extendable handle 10′. In someembodiments, the wheels 20 and the extendable handle 10 may beconstructed of an integral, molded component and be attachable to theliner 200 through the softside pliable material 240 by fasteners, suchas screws, glue, and the like.

FIG. 6 shows a rear view of another embodiment of the insulatedcontainer 100 having wheels 20 (e.g. two sets of two wheels are shown)rotatably attachable to the liner 200 through the softside pliablematerial 240. The wheels 20 are rotatably mounted on an axle 21, whichis attachable via a bracket 22 to the liner 200. The softside pliablematerial 240 may be sandwiched between the bracket 22 and the liner 200.

As stated above, the handle 10 of the insulated container 100 may becomprised of single “T” member 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, having agripping handle on an upper end. The single member may be adapted tohave a length that is adjustable. As shown in FIG. 1, the single memberof the handle 10 is telescopic. Alternatively, handle 10′ of theinsulated container 100 may be comprised of a pair of memberssubstantially parallel to each other, as shown in FIGS. 3-6. Each membermay have a length that is adjustable, e.g. each member may be comprisedof telescopic sections.

Referring to FIG. 6, a lower section of 11 the extendable handle 10′ isshown secured to the upper end of the liner 200 by brackets 205. Thelower section 11 of the handle 10′ is shown be secured to the liner 200at an area proximate bracket 22 for added support. In operation, anupward force on the handle 10 causes the telescopic members to increasethe length of the handle 10′, to facilitate the movement of theinsulated container 100 from one location to another.

Accessory holders may be provided on the insulated container 100. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 6, the cooler 100 includes a cup holderbracket 60 on each upper corner of the liner 200. These brackets 60 areadapted to mate with removable cup holders, as described above.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the insulatedcontainer 100 having a lid 220 in the open position. The insulatedcontainer 100 shown as the softside pliable material 240 attached to theliner 200 as described above (i.e. upper perimeter of the softsidepliable material 240 includes a plastic hoop or ring, which issandwiched between the downwardly-extending lip 208 and the upperperimeter of the liner 200).

FIG. 8 shows the front view of another embodiment of the cooler 100having a front pouch 40 partly comprised of a mesh material 96.

It should be noted that heretofore, the attachment of the softsidepliable material 240 to the hardside liner 200 proved problematic;however, with improvements in manufacturing and sewing technology asdescribed above, the softside exterior may be directly attached to thehardside interior. For example, one means for attaching the softsidematerial 240 to the hard liner 200 is sewing the softside material 240directly onto the hardside liner 200. Another means for attaching thesoftside material 240 to the liner 200 is via glue. Yet another meansfor attaching the softside material 240 to the liner 200 is byincorporating mating snaps on both the softside material 240 and thehard liner 200 such. Yet another means for attaching the softsidematerial 240 to the liner 200 is velcro straps on the softside materialor hook and loop straps on the softside material that feed through anopening in the liner 200 or fasten around an exterior element of theliner 200. While, yet another means for attachment could be to providethe softside material 240 and hardside liner 200 with mating parts of azipper and zipping the softside material around the outside of thehardside liner. In short, other means for attaching the softsidematerial may be utilized. A preferred method of attaching the pliablematerial 240 to the liner 200 is via the hoop on the upper perimeter ofthe pliable material 240 being snapped into the circumferential pocketformed between the lip 208 and the upper perimeter of the liner 200 asdescribed above. In this way, the insulated container 100 has benefitsof softside coolers (e.g. the cooler 100 can contain pockets 95 andpouches 40 and is fashionable) and also has the benefits of a hardsidecooler (such as offering the protection of the contents in the containerand allowing for the rigid attachment of hardware such as wheels 20,feet 300, and extendable handle 10).

As described above with respect to FIG. 4, the upper perimeter of theliner 200 may include a recess 201 to facilitate the opening of the lid220. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-8, the lid 220 is shown flushwith liner 200 when in the closed position. As such, the, the lid 220rests on the d liner and, due to gravity, closes the cooler. Noadditional means for securing the lid 220 to the liner 200 is necessary.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 9A and 9B, a portion of each surface of thelid 220 and liner 200 mate to create a snap-fit. The lid 220 containsclamp 221, which contains an outer side 222 and a ramp-shaped inner side223. The upper end of the liner 200 includes an area 201 which isrecessed or has a decreased wall thickness in relation to the rest ofthe liner 200, as shown in FIG. 9B. When closing the lid 220, the clamp221 snaps onto the recessed portion 201 of the upper end of the liner200. The lid 220 then snaps closed, the contacting fit on the front ofthe lid 220 acting to prevent the lid 220 from inadvertently poppingopen. When closed, the upper portion of the recess 201 is clampedbetween the outer side 222 and the inner side 223. In this way, the lid220 advantageously prevents prematurely opening of the insulatedcontainer 100. Further, this method of selectively securing the lid 220increases the manufacturability of the insulated container 100, as theinner side 222 and outer side 222 can be molded when molding the lid 220(i.e. the single mold for the lid may be designed to include the inner223 and outer 222 sides without increasing the cost of manufacturing thelid 220); subsequent operations are not required.

Also the lid 220 can be opened more quickly than when other securingmeans are utilized, such as prior art zippers. Further, the stressinduced on the upper perimeter of the liner 200 is relatively low andaffects only a percentage of the perimeter of the upper end of the liner200. That is, the entire upper end of the liner 200 is not stress-cycledas the lid 220 is opened and closed, as would be the case if the lid 220had a perimeter just slightly larger than the upper perimeter of theliner 220 creating an interference fit all the way around the parameter.

Thus, with the reduced stress, durability of the container is increasedconcomitantly. The resulting stress is applied only to a small area ascompared to other applications to secure the lid 220 and liner 200 suchas creating seal ring around entire perimeter of the liner 200.Additionally, this embodiment does not cause excessive wear upon theopening and closing mechanism or on the mechanism the operator wouldgrasp to open the lid, e.g. the softside pliable material.

The lid 220 may also include other types of mechanisms for securing thelid 220 in a closed position with respect to the liner 200, as would berealized by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of thisdisclosure. For example, the lid 220 may contain an inner surface thatsnaps onto a lip on the inside of liner 200 when the lid 220 is closedonto the liner 200.

Referring to FIG. 10A, the insulated container cooler 100 is shown withanother means for fastening the lid 220 in a closed position. Thefastening means, such as an elastic cord 250, may be provided to strapitems, e.g. a towel (not shown), to the top of the lid 220. The elasticcord 250 may be extended between hooks 255 and 260 that may be attachedto or integral with the liner 200. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10D,the means for fastening the lid, such as elastic cord 250, may beattached to a bracket 205 and may be extendable to the hook 255 on thefront of the insulated container 100 to secure an item to the lid 220.The elastic cord 250 may further act to secure the lid 220 to the liner200. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10C, the elastic cord 250 may beextended between the hook 260 located on the rear of the cooler 100 andthe hook 255 located on the front of the cooler 100 as shown in FIGS.10A and 10B. Each of the hooks 255 and 260 may be attached to the liner200, e.g. via screws, glue, etc, or may be integral with the liner 200.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 10A-10E, the insulated container 100has a skid-resistant-base 94 and wheels 20 attached to the bottom of aliner 200. The skid-resistant base 94 may be hard plastic, adapted toprovide protection to the softside pliable material 240 on the bottom ofcooler 100. The skid-resistant base 94 may be formed of injection moldedplastic. As shown, the skid-resistant base 94 may be attached oversoftside material 240 via fasteners such as screws passing through thesoftside pliable material, and into the liner. Alternatively, theskid-resistant base 94 may be glued to the bottom of the insulatedcontainer 100.

Referring to FIG. 10A, the softside material 240 of the cooler 100 maycontain open pockets 41 and a closable pocket 42 on the front of thecooler 100. The cooler shown in FIG. 10A also includes a side meshpocket 96. Referring to FIG. 10B, the top of the lid 220 is showncontaining a pair of circular recesses 61 in which the bottom of abeverage container could be placed. In the embodiment of FIG. 10E, thebottom of the lid 220 contains a circular recess 61 for storing abeverage container when the lid 220 is open. Alternatively, the bottomof the lid 220 may include a recess 62 for storing a cup holder (asdescribed above) when the cup holder is not attached to a cup holderbracket 60.

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a prior art liner200 as described above. The liner 200 may comprise slots 202 that can beused to insert a divider (not shown) to divide the liner 200 intodifferent compartments. In some embodiments, liner 200 may comprise aridge 206 upon which a divider (not shown) could be placed to divideliner 200 into two horizontal compartments.

FIG. 12A shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a cooler 100having a dry storage pocket 70 located under softside material 240attachable to a lid 220. In some embodiments, the dry storage pocket 70may be accessible via a zipper 270. In other embodiments, the drystorage pocket 70 may be accessed via hook and loop closures or elasticclosures. FIG. 12B is a close-up view of a portion of 12A and shows insome embodiments the softside pliable material 240 may be sewn 300directly to the lid 220.

Although various embodiments have been shown and described, theinvention is not so limited and will be understood to include all suchmodifications and variations as would be apparent to one skilled in theart.

1. An insulated container comprising: a hard liner having a front, back,two sides, and a bottom to define a cavity; a hard lid hingedlyattachable to the liner; and pliable material attachable to the outsideof the hard liner.
 2. The insulated container of claim 1, wherein thepliable material contains flexible closed cell foam.
 3. The insulatedcontainer of claim 2, wherein a pliable material is attached to the lid.4. The insulated container of claim 3, in which the pliable material issewn directly onto the hard liner or lid.
 5. The insulated container ofclaim 3, in which the insulated container further comprises anextendable handle, at least two feet, and at least two wheels rotatablyattachable to the liner.
 6. The insulated container of claim 3, in whichthe pliable material includes snaps adapted to mate with snaps on theliner and lid to attach the pliable material to the insulated container.7. The insulated container of claim 1, wherein the softside coverincludes a front pouch.
 8. An insulated container such as a cooler orice chest comprising: a hard liner having a cavity; a lid hingedlyattachable to the liner; and a pliable material attached to the outsidewall of the hard liner.
 9. The insulated container of claim 8, in whichthe liner has a front, back, bottom, and two sides that define thecavity.
 10. The insulated container of claim 9, in which the pliablematerial is directly attachable to the lid.
 11. The insulated containerof claim 10, in which the pliable material is sewn directly onto theliner or the lid.
 12. The insulated container of claim 10, in which thepliable material includes snaps adapted to mate with snaps on the lineror lid.
 13. The insulated container of claim 10 in which an upper end ofthe pliable material is attached to a hoop, and an upper end of theliner includes a lip to form a pocket between the lip and the upper endof the liner, the hoop being sandwiched in the pocket to attach thepliable material to the liner.
 14. The insulated container of claim 9,in which the pliable material includes at least a side pocket or a frontpouch with an accessory.
 15. The insulated container of claim 14,wherein at least a portion of the side pocket is mesh.
 16. The insulatedcontainer of claim 10, wherein the lid softside includes a dry storagepocket.
 17. The insulated container of claim 10, wherein the containerfurther comprises an extendable handle and wheels attachable to theliner.
 18. The insulated container of claim 17, wherein the containerfurther comprises at least a side handle attachable to each side of theliner.
 19. The insulated container of claim 18, wherein the side handlecomprises a rotatable loop.
 20. The insulated container of claim 17,wherein the container further comprises at least two feet attachable tothe bottom of the liner.
 21. The insulated container of claim 17,wherein a skid resistant base it attachable to the bottom of thecontainer.
 22. The insulated container of claim 10, wherein the linerand lid comprises hard plastic.
 23. The insulated container of claim 8,where the liner further comprises at least one cup holder bracket. 24.The insulated container of claim 23, wherein the bottom of the lidcomprises a circular recess or a recess adapted to retain a cup holderattachable to the at least one cup holder bracket.
 25. The insulatedcontainer of claim 8, further comprising a strap attachable to the linerin at least two locations to provide a securing mechanism with respectto the lid.
 26. A cooler comprising: a hard plastic liner having afront, back, two sides, and a bottom to define a cavity; a hard plasticlid, wherein the lid is hingedly attachable to the liner; a softsidepliable material; means for attaching the softside pliable material tothe hard plastic liner; and means for fastening the lid against theliner when closed.
 27. The cooler of claim 26, wherein the means forattaching the softside cover is sewing the cover directly onto the hardplastic liner.
 28. The cooler of claim 26 in which the means forfastening the lid includes a inner surface and an outer surface on thelid, clamping a recessed portion on an upper perimeter of the liner.